The West London Hospital was founded in 1856 as the

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...

and

Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. ...

General Dispensary, which was housed in a small 6-roomed building in Queen Street, Hammersmith. It catered for acute conditions and later for geriatric, maternity, rehabilitation and long-stay conditions.

History

Increasing demand led to the leasing of larger premises of Elm Tree House in Hammersmith Road in 1860. At this time it began to admit in-patients, mainly victims of industrial accidents. In 1863 it was renamed the West London Hospital. It was granted a Royal Charter on 1 November 1894. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

36 of its beds reserved for sick and wounded servicemen. In February 1925 Princess Mary opened a new wing financed by a Mr Dan Mason. This had an accident ward of 16 beds, cancer wards, each of 7 beds, for male and female patients, 26 rooms for private patients and 2 operating theatres. Private patients were charged 5 guineas (£5.25) a week for a single room and 4 guineas (£4.20) for a double room. In 1937 a new block on the eastern corner of the Hospital was added - the Silver Jubilee Extension - and was officially opened by Queen Mary. The hospital's accident and emergency department closed in the 1970s when

Charing Cross Hospital Charing Cross Hospital is an acute general teaching hospital located in Hammersmith, London, United Kingdom. The present hospital was opened in 1973, although it was originally established in 1818, approximately five miles east, in central Lond ...

moved from central London to new premises in Fulham Palace Road. In 1993 its remaining services were moved to the

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is a 430-bed teaching hospital located in Chelsea, London. Although the hospital has been at its present site since only 1993, the hospital has a rich history in that it serves as the new site for the Westminst ...

in Fulham Road. The building was sold and refurbished as offices and named Saunders House. The facade is listed and has been preserved. Sony Ericsson currently rent the building now renamed Sony Ericsson House. The freehold is owned by a Middle Eastern investor.

References

{{Authority control Hospital buildings completed in 1856 Defunct hospitals in London 1856 establishments in England